Experience Seamless Full Ebook Downloads for Every Genre at textbookfull.

com

Saving Sharlee Safe and Secure 1 1st Edition

Alyssa Bailey

https://textbookfull.com/product/saving-sharlee-safe-and-
secure-1-1st-edition-alyssa-bailey/

OR CLICK BUTTON

DOWNLOAD NOW

Explore and download more ebook at https://textbookfull.com

 Recommended digital products (PDF, EPUB, MOBI) that
you can download immediately if you are interested.

Dirty Dom Dirty Series Book 1 1st Edition Sarah Bailey

https://textbookfull.com/product/dirty-dom-dirty-series-book-1-1st-
edition-sarah-bailey/

textboxfull.com

Global Water Funding: Innovation and efficiency as

enablers for safe, secure and affordable supplies David
Lloyd Owen
https://textbookfull.com/product/global-water-funding-innovation-and-
efficiency-as-enablers-for-safe-secure-and-affordable-supplies-david-
lloyd-owen/
textboxfull.com

A Danger to Herself and Others 1st Edition Alyssa Sheinmel

https://textbookfull.com/product/a-danger-to-herself-and-others-1st-
edition-alyssa-sheinmel/

textboxfull.com

Alpha Hell The Rejected Mate Series 1 1st Edition G.

Bailey

https://textbookfull.com/product/alpha-hell-the-rejected-mate-
series-1-1st-edition-g-bailey/

textboxfull.com
Run Little Wolf 1st Edition G. Bailey [Bailey

https://textbookfull.com/product/run-little-wolf-1st-edition-g-bailey-
bailey/

textboxfull.com

Avalon Academy Book One Avalon Academy 1 1st Edition

Bailey Dark [Dark

https://textbookfull.com/product/avalon-academy-book-one-avalon-
academy-1-1st-edition-bailey-dark-dark/

textboxfull.com

Secret Wolves Supernatural Shifter Academy 1 5 1st Edition

G Bailey Regan Rosewood

https://textbookfull.com/product/secret-wolves-supernatural-shifter-
academy-1-5-1st-edition-g-bailey-regan-rosewood/

textboxfull.com

Shadowborn Academy: The Full Collection (Dark Fae Academy

#1-3) 1st Edition G. Bailey

https://textbookfull.com/product/shadowborn-academy-the-full-
collection-dark-fae-academy-1-3-1st-edition-g-bailey/

textboxfull.com

Destined A Salvation Society Novel 1st Edition Kate Bailey

& Salvation Society [Bailey

https://textbookfull.com/product/destined-a-salvation-society-
novel-1st-edition-kate-bailey-salvation-society-bailey/

textboxfull.com
SAVING SHARLEE
SAFE AND SECURE - BOOK 1
ALYSSA BAILEY

BLUSHING BOOKS
 CONTENTS

What’s Inside
FREE Books for Amazon Customers

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue

Alyssa Bailey
EBook Offer
Blushing Books Newsletter
Blushing Books
 ©2018 by Blushing Books® and Alyssa Bailey
All rights reserved.

No part of the book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher.

Published by Blushing Books®,

a subsidiary of
ABCD Graphics and Design
977 Seminole Trail #233
Charlottesville, VA 22901
The trademark Blushing Books®
is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Alyssa Bailey
Saving Sharlee

EBook ISBN: 978-1-61258-736-3

Print ISBN: 978-1-61258-676-2

Cover Art by ABCD Graphics & Design

This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities
represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this
book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-
consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.
 WHAT’S INSIDE

She was feeling anxious. He was right about her guilt. In addition,
heaven help her, she really was curious what it would feel like. It
would be her opportunity to see if the reality matched her dreams.
Her panties were downright wet, and her clit was twitching and the
humming vibrations on uneven roads were making everything worse.
Just this once, should she satisfy her body and mind that she really
wasn’t into this type of thing?
When Jac spoke next, his voice was kind and gentle but firm.
“You have to agree, but I hope you do because you need this.” He
held out his hand and for whatever reason, she put her small hand
in his and waited. Did she need this spanking because it was just
who she was? She jerked her hand back at the fear her thought
brought with it.
“Charlotte.” He communicated patience, affection, authority in
that one word and she melted.
“Okay.”
“Okay.” He wiggled his extended fingers.
She, once again, put her small hand in his larger one and allowed
him to guide her over his lap. Suddenly, her tummy was pinging like
a pinball machine. He didn’t reach for the rubber paddle and she
was glad for that, however, he did pull her yoga pants down.
“Wait. Don’t, you can’t do that.” Her breathing had become more
labored. Her face was burning.
 Jac chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving your lacey undies.” His
voice darkened, “This time.”
She wasn’t as worried about her nakedness as she was afraid
he’d find out her secret, those darn drenched panties. The cool air
soon registered on her nether lips through the damp gusset, causing
her to clench her bottom. Regardless of her preparation, the ferocity
of the first swat, startled her. He had allowed her to retain her flimsy
covering, whether it was for her modesty or another reason, and she
was grateful. She’d read plenty of romances that explained the
process of a spanking, but the actual punishment lacked adequate
description.
When his palm landed, it created an explosion on her ass that
she could not breathe through or space out from even if she’d tried.
The second one she thought she was prepared for but she rocked
away to avoid the strike but he hit center mass anyway. That hurt. A
lot.
“Stay still young lady, unless you need the rubber paddle?”
 FREE BOOKS FOR AMAZON CUSTOMERS

RIGHT TO YOUR KINDLE

Do you love Blushing Books and our spicy stories by your favorite
authors? Do you love Alyssa Bailey, Maren Smith, Addison Cain, BJ
Wane, Anya Summers, Alyssa Bailey, Carolyn Faulkner, Jane Henry,
Maisy Archer, Tabitha Black, Abbie Adams, Zoe Blake and dozens of
others?
We give away one or two novels / novellas per month, and can
send these monthly free stories directly to your Kindle device. They
will also come automatically if you’re using a Kindle app on your
smart phone or tablet. You don't need to do anything, pay anything
or remember anything. Every month, free stuff will just magically
appear. (Depending on your settings, you may have to go to your
“Library” and select download.) While the free books may contain
short promotional material on our other new titles, you will not
receive spam or any other unwanted promotions from us.
Here’s how:
1. Email us at [email protected], and put FREE
KINDLE STORY in the subject line of your email. The email address
you mail FROM will not be kept or added to a newsletter unless you
also sign up for our newsletter with that address.
2. You will receive ONE email from us in return (typically within
24 hours) with detailed instructions on how to add our mailing
address to your Kindle’s list of approved senders.
Once we get an email from you, you'll be added to our free
monthly story list. You'll receive two free stories per month. And
remember, while we always have free material at
www.blushingbooks.com, we do often put books in our Kindle
promotion that are NOT offered free anywhere else.
 PROLOGUE

C harlotte strode confidently out of the building that held the

offices of Reynaud & Associates. Clients and employees
referred to them as The Associates. Their job was to keep their
clients safe and secure. She remembered the first time she’d entered
the building with much less confidence. She’d been approached at a
time when she felt restless and decided to take a look at what the
security team was offering.
She’d always preferred to work at home, alone. She chose
specific contracts for a variety of reasons, one being she didn’t
conform well to other’s rules. The other reason was those clients
weren’t interested in meeting her face to face, in fact preferred not
to. All she needed to work was a legitimate bank account and
business set up. She was allowed to remain shadowy. Indeed, her
line of work relied on her ability to remain anonymous.
Her fees were steep and only a very select, highly vetted group
of clients could afford her. They called often, sometimes too often.
She’d been perfectly happy doing that until Jacquard Reynaud
approached her.
Charlotte had just finished an intense contract and was looking
forward to a break when the call came in asking if she’d be
interested in working for their company on a more permanent basis.
Over the phone, she’d thought they were just fishing but when they
set up an interview, she was curious. The timing was perfect: she
was ripe for some adventure and possibly a holiday, so she agreed
to a meeting.
Flying in to see what they had to offer, Charlotte didn’t expect
that she’d be as interested as they said she’d be. She was wrong.
The interview was one she’d never forget. Jacquard Reynaud had
picked her up from the airport and since she had researched him, he
was easy to spot. He had almost coal black hair. She imagined it
would shimmer blue in certain light, but she couldn’t determine his
nationality. His skin had warm undertones that made his tan even
richer. His eyes were just this side of black as well.
Seems he had done the same internet check on her. “Miss
Armstrong?”
“Please, call me Charlotte.”
“And I’m Jac.”
“Yes, I recognize you from your pictures. You’re the only one I’ve
found with that name. Easy to research, not that there was much
out there. Good for you, but it means I need to ask more questions.”
Charlotte decided not to tell him that he was easily found and
identified on a deeper net profile. Most would never go further than
the surface.
Jac grimaced. “Thank God. Most people have no idea what my
real name is and usually assume the company has something to do
with clothing or fabric. The name was a gift from my father who
loved it and pronounced it in the soft French way. Dad may have
been French, but my mother is Shawnee, Kentucky born and bred. I
aspire to be a lover like the French, romantic and spontaneous, but
from Mom I get my tougher, more pragmatic nature. The two
cultures made for an interesting childhood. She pronounces my
name with a K sound, making it sound harsh, but has only ever
called me Jac. There, all you ever wanted to know about that odd
name is now in your trivia file.”
“And now I also know where your coloring comes from, your
mother, and why you picked here to set up business.”
He chuckled. “I guess so. You are good.”
“Thanks, but that was easy. I can do much more with a
computer.”
 “Actually, I picked Lexington because I could be close to contacts
and contracts, but not too close. And, I love horses. I enjoy a good
race as well.”
She later learned the ‘race’ didn’t always involve horses. There
were days since that first face-to-face meeting that Sharlee would
have called him Jac-hammer or, as was later pointed out by a
satisfied customer, Jac-Ass.
Jacquard corrected him. “I prefer being a horse’s ass if I have to
be one, but why quibble over little details.”
Suffice it to say that while on some days she didn’t agree with his
philosophy, he always came through and got the job done.
She spent the rest of the interview, most of the day, learning
who her new clients would be if she won the contract. Besides the
partners, Garrett and Monroe, there were Mark, Kaden, and Carter.
And their lawyer, Ryker.
Garrett and Monroe were hard to read. One minute they seemed
to be polar opposites, the next, they were saying the same
sentences. It might take a while to tease the differences out. For
now, Garrett was the brown-haired man with the striking violet blue
eyes that could become animated when he was debating an issue.
Monroe had light hair and icy blue eyes that were surprisingly less
chilly than the color would have implied.
Then there were Mark and Carter. Mark was dark: hair, eyes, and
personality, for that matter. Carter? Well, Carter’s huge stature hid a
kind nature. Unless, by his own reckoning: “I’m hungry. Then I get
irritated. Then you head for higher ground.” This declaration was
followed by a grin that warmed the whole room.
Kaden came and sat down next to her. This man was more open
than the others and probably nearer to her age, too. He seemed
hardware savvy and would be her equipment go-to person if she
decided to work with them. She expected him to be easier to talk to
than the others.
“Except for Mark and Kaden, you all have last names as first
names, did you notice that? Sorry, I tend to notice patterns in
things.”
 “Nope, but we didn’t notice we were all over the internet in bits
and pieces until we had an expert scrub all but the most innocuous
information from public view, either. Amazing what you can share
even when you aren’t meaning to.”
“Keeps me in business,” said Charlotte.
“Right, well, we’re hired for a large assortment of jobs, but
analyzing threats and eliminating them is the long and the short of
it.”
“Is it legal?”
Monroe answered. “The job is legal.”
Charlotte hesitated before responding. “I sense a ‘but’ in there.”
“Nope,” said Kaden.
“Good, because I’m not going to be part of anything shady. I
mean, working on government contracts is too close for comfort
sometimes.” Charlotte unsuccessfully suppressed a shiver.
Carter spoke for the first time. “We don’t operate like those
morons and besides, we do private contracts not government ones.”
“Right. So what do you want me to do? Specifically. How would I
enhance your work?”
“We really need a good techie, one who can do the job without
setting off alarms. Our contracts are so broad that we need a diverse
person. We’ve run through some scenarios with you, but I get the
feeling you’re concerned about something.”
“I am. There’ve been so many undefined companies springing up
that are, frankly, all below the water level and some are just dipping
there. Others, the totally above-board ones, are very specialized.”
The interview went on for over two hours and then they all went
to dinner. When Jac dropped her off at her hotel, he offered her a
drink after she’d checked in. Charlotte agreed and met him in the
bar twenty minutes later.
They sat in silence, enjoying their chosen beverages—Jac’s a
Highland whisky and Charlotte’s a white wine—contemplating the
situation and each other.
“So here’s the thing, Charlotte, we work highly sensitive
contracts. Contracts the assorted government and state agencies
would if they could but for one reason or another, they either can’t
or won’t. Anything from finding a missing person, to vetting people
on a guest list, to ensuring an attorney makes it to court every day
on a high-profile case.”
“I see. And I would be support for those contracts.”
“Yes and no. Yes in that you would support us, but we have
support people to do the low-grade things. You would be an integral
part of the team. We would need to trust each other implicitly.”
“I normally work alone and in my apartment.”
“Unfortunately, that isn’t negotiable. We’re a team and the only
way to stay bonded is to physically work together, often. Not that
you can’t work at home on some things, in fact you’ll probably need
a good set up there as well, but it’ll have to be in this town or near
enough to it to get to the office.”
“I’m sorry, Jac. I can’t agree to do a nine to five job because I
don’t do that kind of work.”
“I understand. None of us do, but we all live within twenty miles.
Look, it’s getting late,” said Jac. “I’d like to stop by tomorrow
morning, take you to breakfast before you leave on your afternoon
flight. Answer any other questions you might have and ask any that
I might think up later tonight.”
Three months later she was working in her new office at
Reynaud & Associates. The company’s technology was in its infancy
stage, much more so than any of their personal gear which was high
tech. She settled in to setting up what she knew they’d need. The
challenge was just the change she was looking for and working with
the guys, as she affectionately called them, wasn’t as difficult as it
had first seemed. She had taken the chance to change her life for
the better. Now, months after she had answered the invitation to
talk, she was part of this kick butt team and she was happy in her
choice. Well, except she had a crush on her new boss.
Jacquard Reynaud was exotic to look at, intense to work with,
and easy to trust. She was excited to get to know him better. No
girlfriend. She got the impression that the only one with a steady
girlfriend might be Monroe. They were typical men, not ready to
settle down. She wasn’t either. And she certainly didn’t need to have
an affair with her boss. It would inevitably end and the mess at work
would be unbearable. No, she would look but not touch and learn to
be satisfied with him visiting her dreams. It would have to be
enough.
 CHAPTER 1

“H ey, Charlie, want some coffee?” Charlotte looked up to

see Kaden smiling and waving a coffee pot in the air.
“Yes thanks, but don’t call me Charlie.”
“Sorry, but Charlotte isn’t going to last around here. I mean,
Rebecca at reception is fine as Rebecca, but our team isn’t going to
handle Charlotte for long. Charlie is a good compromise to Char or
Lottie.”
They both cringed at those.
“So, before someone assigns something more hideous, let’s
agree on Charlie.”
“How about Sharl—”
“Charlie? When did we start calling you Charlie? It’s about time.
Charlotte is so formal,” declared Monroe as he grabbed the pot from
Kaden.
“Well, I didn’t agree.”
Carter walked in with Garrett. “Hey,” called out Monroe, “we can
call her Charlie now.”
“Good. Jac said we couldn’t push her on something like that. I
mean, she can be called anything she wants but Charlie just works
better,” replied Carter.
“Um…”
Garrett walked up behind her, his voice firm. “Do you want me to
tell them to knock it off? If you want to be called only Charlotte, you
have to speak up now.”
 She looked at him ruefully. “Well, I guess I can get used to it, but
I prefer Sharlee.”
“Gotcha, but you need to learn to hold your own with these guys.
They have to learn to trust your word and if you just let them get
away with little things like this, they won’t know whether to believe
you or not on the big things. Think about it.” He patted her hand
and walked away. Later that day, Jac came in and corrected Kaden
when he called her Charlie.
“No, Jac, it’s cool. She’s okay with it.”
Jac looked at her and raised his eyebrow almost to a point over
his left eye. She simply smiled wryly and shrugged her shoulders.
Jac walked closer to her. “You good with this, really?”
“It’s fine. I shouldn’t be so touchy.”
“Charlotte, it’s your name.”
“I know. I prefer Sharlee if I must have it shortened but I’ve
decided the guys can call me Charlie if they are more comfortable
with it, but no other derivatives.”
Jac nodded and whistled loudly. “Listen up you morons. Charlotte
prefers her given name but if you must shorten it, it is Sharlee not
Charlie. Do I need to spell it, or can you handle it?”
From then on, the only one to call her Charlotte consistently was
Jac, the man who visited her regularly in her dreams.

T oday ’ s long day had turned into tonight’s long night. She had to do
just a little bit more. She was used to pushing herself but not used
to others noticing or caring.
“Charlotte, it’s time to go home.” Jac reached for the papers on
her desk.
“What? No, I have so much more to do.” Charlotte scrambled for
her reference material and tried to push him away.
“Tomorrow is another day.”
“I’m not a two-year-old. I know all about tomorrow. It’s the day I
won’t be able to see above the pile of work I have if I don’t stay and
do more tonight.”
“If you don’t act like a toddler, you won’t be treated like one.”
Sharlee tried to ignore him. She looked at her screen, diverted
from the conversation by another tidbit that caught her interest.
“Charlotte Hope Armstrong shut it down, now.”
Her tummy wiggled in arousal, but she was too busy to stop and
do more than acknowledge both her dampening panties and her
demanding boss. “Argh. Would you just go home? I know how to
lock up.”
“It’s eight o’clock. I’m going to close up my office and so are you.
If I come back and you haven’t done as instructed, there will be
consequences. Am I understood?”
“Okay, okay.” She almost wanted to know what the consequences
would be. Almost. One day she would push that magic button and
see what happened.

S he had officially invaded his dreams. Charlotte was never off his
mind for long and it was driving him crazy. She was incredibly
intelligent. He liked everything about her from her well-proportioned
body to her sharp wit. She could easily become buried in a task and
have to be literally taken away, like he had just done.
She agreed reluctantly, but Jac saw that antsy wiggle and
wondered if it was because his small show of dominance flipped her
switch or because she really was too preoccupied to listen. He left
her with no doubt that he was serious. If she were his, she’d already
be sporting a blush from her first taste of a hot bottom. If she
persisted, she’d have the full on sizzle, the result of his hard hand
kissing her jiggling ass.
Jac was a virile man in his mid-thirties who enjoyed spanking his
women for both fun and discipline. His previous partners had all
been more experienced than he was sure Charlotte was. He hadn’t
felt this strongly for a woman in a long time, maybe he never had.
Hell, she wasn’t even thirty. He caught her looking at him with
something in her green eyes, but he wasn’t pursuing. He should
recalibrate his sites, but he didn’t know if he could. He needed to be
sure she was prepared for what he had to offer first. She might
never be.
Walking back out, he saw she had packaged up her things but
was still sitting and looking at her screen. The little minx was doing
her best to get a hot seat and he was going to try his best not to
give it to her. The boundaries were clear, but damn if he didn’t want
her and the way he wanted her was decadent.
“Charlotte, are you looking for a spanking?”
“What?” she sputtered as she quickly shifted from looking at the
screen to looking at Jac as her face turned deep red. She must have
decided it was a serious question. “Um, no sir, I was just waiting on
you.”
She hit a few keys, turned off her monitor and walked toward the
elevators. He reached behind her and swatted her ass once, hard,
on his way to turn off the lights. He made sure she understood the
smack as the warning it was meant to be.
“Ow,” she said in response as she scooted out of his path and
turned her bottom away from him at the elevator. She wasn’t
outraged and almost sounded as though she had expected it.
“Do not disobey a direct order and don’t be slow in your
compliance of the same.”
His tone was firm as he watched her intently. She nodded. It
appeared as though she was fighting the urge to rub the smacked
cheek. She was biting her lip. Could the minx be turned on? No, he
was reading more into it than was there. He’d not pursue. Couldn’t
pursue, but he damn sure wanted to pick her up and toss her over
his shoulder like the Neanderthal she often called the guys.
Jac was glad Charlotte was backed away and averted her eyes
because his increasingly hardening cock would have been obvious
otherwise. He was relieved when the elevator swished open.
They reached the garage and Jac walked her to her car, and said,
“You pull out ahead of me and once I see you’re out, I’ll follow.”
Then he watched as she started her car and pulled out. There were
only a few cars in the garage and the disobedient minx waited on
him to do the same before preceding him out to the street. It was a
nice gesture and he was sure she thought she was keeping him safe
as well. He would never point out that he would be less distracted in
a dangerous situation if she were not in the vicinity of the same
danger. He shook his head.
The image of Sharlee’s reaction to his swat followed him into his
dreams and he was up at four just to give attention to his perpetual
hard on. Jac found his relief while thinking of Charlotte willingly
taking his discipline, followed by hot, paint peeling sex. He rolled
over and thought about how screwed he was. He had it bad for her.
No other woman had even come close to arousing him since
Sharlee.
He’d been off the dating circuit for about six months before
Charlotte signed on, but since she joined the team, she was the only
one in his bedroom scenes. Maybe he just needed to get laid. Still
unable to sleep despite the stress relief, he admitted defeat. He
might as well get his run out of the way.
Walking into the office, Jac was jazzed. His early day made him
feel as though he had the tiger by the tail. He breezed through the
next few meetings. He ordered lunch in so the team could huddle on
the next stage of their new contract. Charlotte was moody. She had
been working on the face recognition program she’d collaborated on
during grad school over five years ago. It was still nearly the best
out there and that was a hell of a lot more than they had without
her.
She’d tweaked the program even further, fine-tuning it using her
nearly unfettered access to government programs which she
retained because of the occasional side job she still accepted from
them. It was outside Jac’s team and he didn’t like it. However,
business was benefitting so unless it became a problem to Charlotte
performing her work for them, he said nothing. It was a symbiotic
relationship just like Charlotte and Jac’s as yet unnamed affiliation.
Yeah, he wasn’t about to rock that boat either.
I t ’ d been another long but productive week with two contracts
closed. Another week of men that were possessive and over-
protective at times, but it was the best Sharlee had ever felt since
leaving home as a new college student. Actually, while she’d always
been well cared for, that male protectiveness went missing when her
dad was killed in an auto accident. She was eight when she lost him.
For once, she was glad it was nearly time to knock off. It was her
week to stay until closing. The work was sometimes difficult to deal
with, but it was worth it. She often made a difference she could see.
Tonight, Charlotte wanted to follow a lead on her own. It wasn’t
dangerous but it meant going off the grid just a little. She jumped in
the car, locked the door, and headed twenty miles into the country.
The drive away from rush hour traffic was nice and she rolled down
the window partway to enjoy the balmy spring breeze.
Turning onto the appropriate road, she craned her neck to look
for a house that while it had an address, she couldn’t find on
satellite pictures of the area. The guys didn’t like that she insisted on
being on the closing roster, but she had insisted and finally Jac
agreed. They would be uncontainable if they knew she had gone on
a little hunting expedition alone.
Sharlee had been monitoring a suspicious group of
communications and had tracked the signal to this house. She knew
her hunch might be all washed up, but it was odd to not have a
google map point. The light was beginning to wane and Charlotte
considered turning back but told herself she could push on just a
little further. If she found nothing, it would satisfy her need to know
tonight. She could come back tomorrow and have a better search if
need be.
Looking at the stills she had of the coordinates, she didn’t see a
house either. Discouraged, she turned onto a small dirt side road to
make a U-turn when she heard a popping sound followed by a ‘poof’
and her car sank slightly. Damn, a flat tire. When she got out to
identify which one to change, she was irritated that there were two
flats. One flat she could handle, but two was more than she had
replacement tires for, and plenty odd.
 Looking to see what was in the road that could have caused the
blowouts, she found a small bit of wood with nails on it. If she had
been going faster, she’d have blown all four tires. Angry she’d need a
tow truck, she glanced around the surrounding area for the first
time. She’d known it was a little off the grid, but it was more creepy
at this time of night than she bargained for, and she needed
assistance.
Luckily, another one of those billboard signs advertising a towing
company that she had been passing was right in front of her. She
figured the guy must live nearby. The light was changing, indicating
the sun would set soon. Sharlee dialed the number and in less than
ten minutes, a truck drove up.
“Looks like you’re in a bit of a bind, miss.”
Sharlee looked at the man and hesitated before speaking. “I
guess I am. I think I ran over something because both of my front
tires are blown. It’s just my luck.” She decided to keep her find to
herself. Something was off, but she wasn’t sure if it was her paranoia
or what. “Obviously, I only have one spare tire. Could you get me to
the nearest gas station?”
“Sure, but I have a shop about half mile further down this road. I
could fix you up in no time.”
The man reached for a metal hook to attach to the under casing
of her car without saying another word. Charlotte jumped from
behind her car door where she had been standing.
“Hey, wait.”
He walked up closer to Sharlee causing her stomach to cramp
from the bad vibes she got. He was positively leering, causing her
body to seize with anxiety. His dirty shirt declared there was ‘No
such thing as bad sex.’ Her panic rose.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want help?” The man seemed to ooze
the sleaze factor.
“Well, um, do you take credit cards?”
His smile was lewd. “Sorry little lady, we only accept cash.”
Speaking through her fear she said, “Your truck says you take
credit cards.”
 Then the creepy man sneered and said he could only accept cash
after dark. “But we could work it out if you like.” His grin revealed a
set of dingy yellow teeth that made the acid in her stomach roil.
She looked at the still light sky as she contemplated his words.
“That doesn’t make… Just a moment,” she said. “Don’t hook me up
any more until I see if I can get the cash.”
God, something was terribly wrong, and it felt like a crappy but
equally horrifying version of the Bates Motel. She jumped back into
her car, locked the door, and called Jac. He made her stay on the line
while every available man was called to show up in response to her
mayday call. She was privy to his choice words about the situation
as he made the calls while she was on speaker phone. She cringed.
He was royally pissed at her.
“I just called my friend to bring me some cash,” she said through
the small opening at the top of her window. She made sure it was
small enough that he could not get his fingers inside while she sat
and bounced her leg nervously.
“Got another gal bringing money, huh? I’ll wait in the truck.” He
rubbed his hands as though she had ordered him a seven-course
meal.
Charlotte would have laughed when the guys showed up if her
relief wasn’t so profound. The tow truck man was understandably
worried when two large black SUVs and six brawny men poured out,
swarming the scene like bees to honey. Garrett, Monroe, Mark,
Carter, and Kaden stood between her and the truck, assessing the
situation. Jac asked the driver if he took a credit card and the driver
answered in the affirmative.
“Dumb fuck,” was Jacquard’s reply just before Carter sent his
fisted hand into the man’s jaw. Then the police showed up. And the
questioning began. The board was located and pulled out of the
grass. When that was cleared up, Charlotte got into the back seat of
the SUV with Jac, as ordered.
“The guys will take care of your car. We’ll get you home. What
were you doing out here?”
Jac listened quietly, but Charlotte wasn’t so shaken that she
didn’t notice his left hand flexing open and closed. Monroe drove,
also remaining quiet while she spoke. Charlotte was exhausted and
her voice gave her away.
“Damn sweetheart, what was going on in your mind to go off the
main road, in the dark and then call a complete stranger to help you
when you have any number of knuckleheads ready to defend your
honor and rescue you?”
“What? How was I to know that you couldn’t trust a tow guy? I
mean, aren’t they bonded?”
“I’m sure they are but why didn’t you call one of us to come and
take care of the issue?”
“Jac, I can handle things on my own.” She sounded whiny even
to her own ears.
“Right, as this proved so well. You don’t need to handle things
like this while any of us is available. Don’t make that mistake again,
understood?”
“Sure, whatever,” was her response, accompanied by a shrug. It
was the wrong response.
“Right, I thought we could deal with this differently, but I’m not
happy with not doing it my way and you’re obviously not happy
handling it this way either, so over you go.”
“What?”
“Over my lap, sweetheart.”
Sharlee tried to backpedal. “No… I… okay wait. I guess I thought
since I was off duty, it was my problem.”
Monroe whistled and shook his head while looking at her in the
rear-view mirror but said nothing.
“You signed the paperwork. It said you would notify one of us
when there was a problem.”
“With work, Jac. This wasn’t work. Well, it is really, but it’s after
hours.”
“With anything, Charlotte Hope, you should know that.”
She fell silent. What else could she say? Not that she loved the
feeling of having all these guys watch out for her like her brothers.
Certainly not that she had a crush on her boss. Jac had to be eight
or more years her senior, at least, but he was the hottest specimen
she had seen possibly ever. And under no circumstances would she
tell him that she was a closet spanko or she masturbated to the time
he had swatted her ass at the elevator.
She murmured like a repentant child. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it
meant outside of work as well. But why?”
“Why what?”
“Why worry when I’m not working?”
“Look, Sharlee, you are still relatively new to the idea but—”
“I’ve been here over a year.”
“And some of us have been together for over a decade. As I was
saying,” he gave her a hard stare, “we worked hard putting this
team together. Garrett and I and later Monroe vetted every single
one of you for a time before we signed you on. We have support
people to keep us going but when we went looking for a member of
the team who could cover all the computer work, we had expected
the best would be a man.”
She opened her mouth in surprise and he shrugged
unashamedly. “Sorry, but that’s how it was. We never expected a
woman on the team. Nevertheless we found you, touted to be one
of the best in the field, and we reluctantly interviewed you. You
impressed the hell out of us and we all knew we had to have you.”
He rarely called her Sharlee. She wasn’t sure if she liked it. On
his lips it sounded proprietary. She spent many nights dreaming of
what it would be like to be claimed by him. A non-fraternization rule
would have helped her resolve to keep her hands off her boss.
Mixing love and business was never a good idea.
She opened her mouth again, but he put his hand up to halt her
words. “We not only liked your work, we liked you. A lot. You
showed you could work independently, but could be a team player
when required. This last year has shown us that you’re the perfect fit
for us. You’re part of our family now. So like it or not, Monroe will
attest to the fact that you are now a woman with too many
protectors. Until tonight. Then you have just enough.”
Her nose had that distinctive tingle of the formation of tears. Her
sigh got a little watery. “I guess I had no idea. I mean, I knew we
got along fine, and there are plenty of hints about Neanderthal men,
but I guess I don’t know what to say, exactly.”
 She loved it, but she couldn’t let on. Even after she lost her dad,
she’d always felt safe, but it wasn’t the same as knowing who was
looking out for you. Now she did know who was looking out for her.
They protected her and contributed to her sense of security. But she
wasn’t ready to tell them that. Not yet.
“So you now understand why I’m going to roast your butt.” He
rubbed his hands on his thighs.
“What? No, I’m not okay with that. Besides it doesn’t explain why
at all.”
Her heart was racing and her stomach’s churning began again
only for a different reason. She’d never told anyone how much she
dreamed of living a domestic discipline lifestyle. Well, she thought
she’d like it. No one had ever spanked her other than an occasional
swat and never as an adult except that one swipe from Jac. Her pink
bits were slick as she wiggled and she was sure her panties were
wet. She didn’t dare move again for fear of leaving a wet spot.
Monroe pulled out a rubber paddle from somewhere and Charlotte
wasn’t going to ask from where.
“You can’t do that you know,” she said when she finally spoke
again over her tight chest.
“I can if you let me.”
“But why?”
“We care about you and you just made a colossal error in
judgement that could have cost you your life. We can’t have that
happen again.”
“It won’t,” she spoke with authority.
“Not after I spank you it won’t.” Jac was equally confident.
“If I let you do this, it means I’m agreeing to it forever. I don’t
know if I can do that and I like my job.”
“Sweetheart, you’ll never lose your job. You’re too good, we need
you too badly, and like I said before, you are part of the family now.
I’m not sure I can do without you, now that I know what having you
is like. Call it the best kind of job security.”
She hoped he meant more than her IT skills.
“If you don’t allow this lesson, I will understand but it means
we’ll have to do other things that help you remember to take care of
yourself and to call us.”
“Like what, exactly?”
“Like five a.m. PT.”
“PT?”
“Calisthenics, running, you know, physical training, helps you
remember not to repeat your mistakes by putting them into
cadences.”
“What?” Her voice was squeaky and too high. They all knew she
didn’t exercise more than the minimum. Just what the job
mandated, and this was a job that mandated a high level of fitness
even for her. “I’m not getting up at five in the morning when I often
don’t finish working before three in the morning and I dare you to
try to make me.” She was feeling slightly more in control than a
moment ago, but it didn’t last.
Monroe laughed. “I wouldn’t challenge Jac, honey. He is likely to
take you up on it.”
Jac continued. “Then you need to have a spanking. It’s quick and
done.” She rubbed her thighs together but didn’t answer. Things
were getting slippery in more than one way. “You don’t have to do
this, Charlotte, but it will clear your conscience.”
“My conscience is fine.”
“Yep, because you take for granted that six co-workers stopped
what they were doing to help you out, right? They were glad to do
it, but it should not have happened. If you were more careful about
what you did alone and where you went, it wouldn’t have. If you
had called us first, two would have come out, not six.”
She was feeling anxious. He was right about her guilt. In
addition, heaven help her, she really was curious what it would feel
like. It would be her opportunity to see if the reality matched her
dreams. Her panties were downright wet, and her clit was twitching
and the humming vibrations on uneven roads were making
everything worse. Just this once, should she satisfy her body and
mind that she really wasn’t into this type of thing?
When Jac spoke next, his voice was kind and gentle but firm.
“You have to agree, but I hope you do because you need this.” He
held out his hand and for whatever reason, she put her small hand
in his and waited. Did she need this spanking because it was just
who she was? She jerked her hand back at the fear her thought
brought with it.
“Charlotte.” He communicated patience, affection, authority in
that one word and she melted.
“Okay.”
“Okay.” He wiggled his extended fingers.
She, once again, put her small hand in his larger one and allowed
him to guide her over his lap. Suddenly, her tummy was pinging like
a pinball machine. He didn’t reach for the rubber paddle and she
was glad for that, however, he did pull her yoga pants down.
“Wait. Don’t, you can’t do that.” Her breathing had become more
labored. Her face was burning.
Jac chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving your lacey undies.” His
voice darkened, “This time.”
She wasn’t as worried about her nakedness as she was afraid
he’d find out her secret, those darn drenched panties. The cool air
soon registered on her nether lips through the damp gusset, causing
her to clench her bottom. Regardless of her preparation, the ferocity
of the first swat, startled her. He had allowed her to retain her flimsy
covering, whether it was for her modesty or another reason, and she
was grateful. She’d read plenty of romances that explained the
process of a spanking, but the actual punishment lacked adequate
description.
When his palm landed, it created an explosion on her ass that
she could not breathe through or space out from even if she’d tried.
The second one she thought she was prepared for but she rocked
away to avoid the strike but he hit center mass anyway. That hurt. A
lot.
“Stay still young lady, unless you need the rubber paddle?”
She shook her head. Number three drew a squeal and she
clenched her bottom muscles even tighter. Tears filled her eyes. She
squeezed them to stop the overflow. The fourth swat slammed into
her throbbing buttock the moment she relaxed them, and she began
to beg.
 “Oh my lord, Jac, you have concrete hands. Please be done.” She
could feel her arousal regardless of the heat she knew was radiating
from her backside.
“One more,” was all he said and then he laid it down.
It was a scorcher. Her whole ass moved and she cried out with
the last one. Just five sensationally stinging swats and it was over.
His hand was paddle enough. She’d never survive more. Tears stung
her eyes but didn’t fall. The heat of embarrassment rose up her neck
and diffused onto her face. It was further humiliating when she
remembered Monroe was also in the vehicle, but he never said
another word.
Later, she figured he was a witness to the event in case anything
came of it, in case she accused Jac of anything. She wouldn’t put it
past them to have recorded everything. It hurt her to think they’d
feel the need for that precaution.
After the swats were over, he waited as though he knew she
needed a moment to herself and she was mortified that her panties
and pussy were so slippery it was physically uncomfortable. She
wanted to remove the wisp of material. This was more than she had
bargained for. At least it verified her love of spanking.
She was still aroused, embarrassingly excited, and she hoped she
was the only one who knew but she thought she could smell her
own arousal making her wonder what his scent mixed with hers
would smell like, their own special lovers blend. She almost giggled.
Jac never gave any indication that he discovered her secret. He
replaced her pants and then pulled her up onto the seat next to him.
He put his arm around her, pulling her into his chest. He allowed her
to sit up when they arrived back at the office.
“Jac, no one hears that recording, you got me? No one.”
He nodded seriously and said, “Got it.” And that was all that was
said about any of the actions in the car.
Once they were in the office and everyone had returned, Sharlee
chastised the men she had just grown to love that much more. “You
know guys I have to learn to live alone. I need to be able to handle
things myself.”
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
its purpose is simply to kill, quickly and efficiently, and go on at once
to another victim. Having exhausted the store of victims—a short
process, obviously, even in an area of planetary dimensions—it dies
of something like starvation within days.
"That, of course, was as practical a limitation to those employing it as
the one that it attacks only Tareegs. They did not want to be barred
indefinitely from an area which had been cleansed of their enemies,
and neither did they want food animals in that area to be destroyed.
They...."
His voice trailed off, and Troy stirred restlessly. Dr. Clingman was
slumped farther down in his chair now, and the pale, protruding eyes
had begun to blink drowsily. He seemed about to go to sleep. Troy
said, "If the thing killed the Tareegs on Cassa One inside an hour
after they'd gone into the sea, then they couldn't have had the time
to start the interstellar drones back towards the twin worlds."
Clingman's head turned to him again. "No," Clingman said. "Of
course not."
"And even," Troy went on, "if they had been able to ship a couple of
loads of infected water back, it would have been harmless long
before it reached their worlds."

Clingman nodded. "Quite harmless. As harmless as the new ocean

on Cassa One would be by this time to Tareegs who entered it." He
paused. "We'd thought, Gordon ... as you might be thinking now ... of
sending the drones back instead with a load of asteroid ice
containing the inert agent. That, of course, would not have reduced
its effectiveness. Nevertheless, the scheme wouldn't have worked."
"Why not?" Troy asked.
"Because the drones, in the Tareeg view, were sacred messengers.
They could be used only to announce in a certain prescribed manner
that the Tareeg interstellar expeditionary force had discovered a
water planet and taken possession of it, again with the required
ceremony, for the twin worlds. The transmission of lumps of
interplanetary ice would never have fitted that picture, would, in fact,
have been an immediate warning that something very much out of
order had occurred.
"That Tareeg insistence on exact ritualistic procedure—essentially a
defensive measure in their dealings with one another—also
happened to delay our own plans here very badly. Except for it, we
would have been ready at least a year ago to flood Cassa One and
entrap our captors."
Troy repeated, stunned, "You would have been ready...."
"Yes, but consider what might have resulted from that over-hasty
action. The Cassa system is much more readily accessible from the
twin worlds than it is from Earth, and if we made some mistake with
the drones, or if the Tareegs began to suspect for any other reason
that their expeditionary force had met with disaster, they would be
certain to establish themselves at once in a very strong manner
here, leaving Earth confronted with a dangerously talented and
implacable new enemy. No, we had to retain the appearance of
helplessness until we had acquired an exact understanding of the
manner in which the water-message must be prepared, and had
discovered some substitute for the freezing effect on the lethal
agent. That took an extra year."
Troy said carefully, "And during that year, as you knew would
happen, another dozen or so men died very slow and painful deaths
on the Tareeg execution benches. Any one of those men might have
been you or I...."
"That is quite true," Clingman said. "But it was something that could
not be avoided. In that time, we did learn the necessary ritual and we
did find a numbing catalyst which will hold the protein agent inert
until it loses its effect by being sufficiently diluted again. So now the
drones have been dispatched. Long before this ship reaches Earth
again, the agent will have been introduced to the twin worlds, and
except for the specimens we carry on board, the Tareeg species will
be extinct. It may not be a pleasant thing to have a pair of ghost
worlds forever a little on our conscience—but one does not have to
fight uncertain wars with ghosts."
Troy studied him in silence for some seconds.
"And I thought you were soft," he said at last. "I thought you were
weak and soft...."
THE END
 *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEFT HAND,
RIGHT HAND ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S.

copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in
these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it
in the United States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of
this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept
and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and
may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the
terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of
the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as
creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research.
Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given
away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with
eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject
to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
 PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free

distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or
any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and

Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree
to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be
bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from
the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in
paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be

used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people
who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a
few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic
works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.
See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with
Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the
collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the
individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the
United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in
the United States and you are located in the United States, we do
not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing,
performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the
work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of
course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™
mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely
sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name
associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of
this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its
attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without
charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also
govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most
countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the
United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms
of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying,
performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this
work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes
no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in
any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other

immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must
appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™
work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or
with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is
accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
 This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived

from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a
notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright
holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the
United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must
comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through
1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted

with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted
with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of
this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project

Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a
part of this work or any other work associated with Project
Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this

electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form,
including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you
provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work
in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in
the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,

performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing

access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:

• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the
method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The
fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark,
but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty
payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on
which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your
periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked
as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information
about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation.”

• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who

notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that
s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
 copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and
discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project
Gutenberg™ works.

• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of

any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in
the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90
days of receipt of the work.

• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™

electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend

considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe
and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating
the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may
be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to,
incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a
copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or
damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer
codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except

for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph
1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner
of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party
distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this
agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and
expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO
REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF
WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE
FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY
DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE
TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL,
PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE
NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you

discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it,
you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by
sending a written explanation to the person you received the work
from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must
return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity
that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a
replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work
electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to
give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in
lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may
demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the
problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in
paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied

warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted
by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the
Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the
Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any
volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability,
costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or
indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur:
(a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b)
alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project
Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of

Project Gutenberg™
Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.
It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and
donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the

assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a
secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help,
see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project

Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,

Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to

the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without
widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can
be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the
widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small
donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax
exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating

charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and
keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in
locations where we have not received written confirmation of
compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of
compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where

we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no
prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in
such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make

any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of
other ways including checks, online payments and credit card
donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project

Gutenberg™ electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed

editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,

including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how
to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
Welcome to our website – the ideal destination for book lovers and
knowledge seekers. With a mission to inspire endlessly, we offer a
vast collection of books, ranging from classic literary works to
specialized publications, self-development books, and children's
literature. Each book is a new journey of discovery, expanding
knowledge and enriching the soul of the reade

Our website is not just a platform for buying books, but a bridge
connecting readers to the timeless values of culture and wisdom. With
an elegant, user-friendly interface and an intelligent search system,
we are committed to providing a quick and convenient shopping
experience. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery
services ensure that you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading.

Let us accompany you on the journey of exploring knowledge and

personal growth!

textbookfull.com